Caretaker
by Karasuha
Summary: ItaSaku Non-Massacre AU. Since young, Itachi found her to be quite peculiar and interesting. When a mission goes wrong and Sakura loses her ability to walk, how will Itachi carry out his new task? Clumsily and awkwardly, of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Caretaker**

1

The Boy and The Girl

* * *

 _The first time he met her, he thought she was dazzling._

* * *

Itachi's loyalty for Konoha ran deep.

It was so deep to the point where he had betrayed his own blood for the village that housed them. He was a child that only knew war, and he did not want to see or participate in another war. Especially between his beloved family and his beloved village.

Ten years ago, when the Kyuubi had attacked Konoha, the village elders had pointed their fingers at the Uchiha. They had believed that the clan unleashed the beast as a form of revenge for their ancestors who were slighted by the First Hokage. Unfairly wronged, the clan spent the next four years to plan a coup d'état in order to overthrow the village.

At the time, Itachi had successfully been promoted to captain rank within the ANBU at the tender age of thirteen. As a result, Fugaku had encouraged him to take advantage of his newly achieved status to spy on confidential village matters that only eyes of an ANBU captain could have access to.

However, Itachi did not see eye-to-eye with his father. A civil war was not needed, he had reasoned.

Fortunately, his mother had also disagreed with his father's views. Several days after Fugaku's attempt to persuade him to act as a spy, Mikoto had pulled him to the side, away from prying ears. "Itachi-chan," She had said, "I want you to report this foolishness to the Third Hokage. Your father's choice of actions is wrong, and the clan must be stopped." She smiled tenderly and gently squeezed his shoulders. "The deaths of others is not needed to regain the honor that we lost."

And report to the Third Hokage, he did.

Upon hearing the Uchiha's plan to revolt, the village elders were furious. They had even suggested to purge the Uchiha clan. The Third Hokage on the other hand, had a different idea. "No," Sarutobi had said. "We will negotiate with them."

And negotiate, they did.

Fugaku was given a seat in the Hokage's circle of counselors, along with full privileges to confidential matters. Not only that, but a new building had been built for the police corps that Fugaku lead. The building was designated as their new headquarters, much bigger and better than the last in terms of equipment and training space. Satisfied, Fugaku decided to call off the coup.

Despite betraying his father, Itachi was content and void of regrets. He knew that following his mother's orders, along with following his own conscience was the right thing to do.

"Itachi-chan!"

At the sound of his mother's voice calling for him from within their household, fifteen year old Itachi straightened up from his crouching position and turned towards the entryway that lead to the inside of his house. He had been doing projectile training in their very own backyard, which was just as massive in size as their house.

Despite being an ANBU captain at such a very young age, he knew that he lacked in certain areas compared to his seniors, who had been in the business decades before him. The thought of being a burden to his team brought an unsettling feeling of disappointment, despite the fact that he had not once been a burden for them. Yet. Thus, after coming home from a two week long mission, the little Uchiha captain had gone straight to their backyard in order to further improve his abilities.

He would do anything to protect his comrades. Anything to protect his family. Anything to protect his home.

"Itachi-chan!" Mikoto called again, from where she stood at the entryway. "Can you run an errand for me?"

Itachi nodded. "What is the errand, haha-ue?"

Delighted, Mikoto clapped her hands. "I need you to drop by Haruno-san's bakery and pick up Sasu-chan's birthday cake. Can you do that for me?" She smiled sheepishly, "I would go myself, but I'm a little behind with all the cooking I'm doing."

Ah. His cherished little brother's tenth birthday was today and the party was scheduled for tonight.

Itachi smiled, "Of course."

"Do you know where it is?" She asked.

He hummed, racking his memory for the address of the renowned bakery. He had been there once before while accompanying his mother ten years ago for Sasuke's first birthday. "I believe it is located east of the marketplace."

"That's right," Mikoto grinned. "It's a few shops down from Kawahiro-san's tea shop, in case you get lost and can't find it."

A quiet snort escaped from Itachi. "I will be able to find it without any problems." He said confidently.

"Great!" Mikoto clapped her hands again and then turned around to make her way back into the house. "Take your time, okay Itachi-chan?" She called from over her shoulder. "Today's your only day off in a long time, so don't rush yourself."

"Yes, haha-ue."

* * *

The marketplace was located at the heart of the village. Heeding his mother's words, Itachi decided to walk to the market, instead of traveling on rooftops. As much as he hated to admit it, his mother was right. He actually had been overworking himself, and he was very grateful for her advice. His mother always knew what was best for him, and he was thankful for that.

An hour later, Itachi stopped in front of a large red gate with a sign perched at the top, indicating that he had arrived at the marketplace. From what he could see, it was as busy as ever, as shoppers bustled around and vendors advertised their stores with sale signs and enthusiastic shouting. Itachi's lips pursed as he stepped past the gate, quickly reminded of why he rarely visited the market. _'Too noisy.'_

 _'Bakery, bakery.'_ He chanted in his mind, eyes moving left and right from one store to another, in search of the popular establishment. After ten minutes of searching, he spotted a tiny shop with a green banner hanging from the fascia of the roof. _'Kawahiro-san's tea shop.'_ He recognized. Itachi's pace quickened as he walked past the tea shop. The young captain turned the corner. After passing four more shops, he finally arrived at his destination.

Sakura Bakery.

That's what it was called. The large, light pink rectangular banner had 'Sakura Bakery' inscribed in the middle with maroon ink. The bottom of the signage was scalloped, giving it a very cute and delicate look.

Itachi's mouth began to water as he looked through the window panels. He saw rows and rows of decadent cakes and bite-sized sweets, all of which were trapped behind their own glass display cases. Swallowing the pool of saliva, he inched towards the door.

Upon opening it, a wave of relaxation overcame his body as the sweet smell of pastries filled his nostrils. A small smile crept up his face. _'I wonder if I have enough money to buy a few slices of tiramisu for myself.'_ He mused, walking towards the checkout counter. It was a wonder how he came to develop such a sweet tooth.

"G-Good afternoon!"

Itachi blinked. Slowly, he craned his neck to look over the counter, only to meet beautiful and bright emerald eyes. Standing tip-toed behind the counter, was a petite pink-haired girl. Eyebrows raised, he stared at the child, who in turn, stared right back at him.

A few strands of her bangs fell to her face. She brushed them out of the way with a swipe of her hand. Nervously, the child smiled at him. "G-Good afternoon..." She repeated, slower and quieter than her rushed outburst a few minutes prior.

"Hello," He greeted, watching as her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. The edges of his lips curled a little, amusement dancing in his eyes. If he remembered right, the girl in front of him was also his brother's classmate in the academy.

The child let out a soft squeak before she stuttered, "H-How may I help you?"

Itachi's lips parted a little, and a quiet "ah" escaped. Remembering the purpose of his visit, he straightened his posture and cleared his throat. "I am here to pick up a special order," He paused. "I believe it is under the name of Uchiha Mikoto."

The pink-haired child nodded. "P-Please wait a moment. I'll go get it for you."

Itachi nodded and watched her disappear behind red drapery, most likely leading to the fridge room located at the back of the store. A moment later, she came shuffling back with a black box, wrapped in red ribbons, in her hands.

"Here you go!" She squeaked out, lifting it up towards him.

He carefully took the box off her hands. "Thank you." He murmured.

"Um," She fiddled with her fingers. "Today is Sasuke-kun's birthday right?"

Itachi blinked. "That's right," He nodded.

"P-Please tell him," She stammered, "I said happy birthday!"

It pleased him to know that Sasuke's classmates cared about his birthday. "I will pass your message to him." Itachi smiled and patted her head. "What is your name?"

His hand faltered as a dazzling grin appeared on Sakura's face.

"My name is Sakura," She beamed. "Haruno Sakura!"

Never before, had he seen such a beautiful and innocent smile.

* * *

 _The second time he met her, he told her to smile._

* * *

Itachi had just returned to the village from another successful two-week long mission. It was a simple mission really, that even a chuunin could have carried out. But seeing as he was the one assigned to it, he concluded that it was a mission of high importance.

The sun was now setting, staining the sky with vivid orange and red hues. The fifteen year old captain was now on his way back to the Uchiha compound, his stomach rumbling in hunger. Itachi frowned as he gently rubbed his stomach. _'Perhaps I should take a shortcut,'_ He mused. He pumped strength into his legs and leaped upwards, landing on top of a nearby house.

A gentle breeze brushed against his cheeks as he dashed from rooftop to rooftop. It was peaceful, and he quite liked it. It was then that he saw a group of kids huddled together at a nearby park from the corner of his eye. _'What are they doing?'_ Itachi's eyes narrowed as he noticed a blob of pink within the group of kids.

Surrounded by boys and girls of different sizes and ages, was Sakura, who was on the verge of tears.

 _'The bakery girl,'_ Itachi realized.

He descended from the rooftop he was perched on and landed right behind the group of kids. "What are you doing?" He asked them, in his infamous stoic manner.

Surprised by his sudden appearance, the children screamed. They turned around to look at their assailant. Upon recognizing his identity, they screamed once more. Both Itachi and Sakura watched as the children scrambled out of the park one by one.

Itachi turned to the sniffling pinkette, who was situated on the ground. Silence dawned them, with the occasional sniffling peeping out of her. Itachi felt awkward, having no idea what to do. How did one comfort a weeping girl?

"What's wrong?" He slowly asked her.

"It's nothing," Sakura rubbed her palms against her wet cheeks. "This happens all the time," She mumbled.

Itachi frowned. Was the bakery girl being bullied by her classmates?

The teen knelt down in front of her. Upon further inspection, he noticed that her knees were scabbed. "Did they push you?"

Sakura nodded. "They always push me. Then they tell me that I can't become a shinobi," Her fingers combed through her locks. "Because I have pink hair."

"That's foolish," Itachi snorted. "One can become a shinobi, even if they have pink hair."

At that, Sakura perked up. "You think I can become a shinobi?"

Itachi blinked at her change of temperament, and slowly nodded her. "That is up to you, and how far you are willing to go." He patted her head. "Perhaps you will become a wonderful shinobi in the future."

He frowned again as he remembered the scabs on her knees. "You can't go home like that," He mused. Itachi dug into his pouch for a few seconds, before pulling out a few band-aids. His mother had insisted that he kept them on hand, in case of an emergency. Truth be told, he never had any use for them, really.

He diligently peeled the plastic pieces off of one band-aid and gently patted it onto her left knee. Then he did the same thing for her right knee. Upon finishing, Itachi let out a quiet huff of satisfaction. "There," He murmured. "You're all set to go."

Sakura giggled. "Thank you."

Itachi blinked, his eyebrows raised in mild surprise. A small smile crept onto his features. "You have a lovely smile," He softly said, reaching to pat her head once more. "You're better off smiling instead of crying."

* * *

 **A/N:** I've had this idea sitting in my drafts for over a year, and I finally decided to take the risk and see where it will lead me.

This first chapter is meant to be short and sweet to introduce the non-massacre, along with how Itachi came to be interested in Sakura's existence when they were little. The age difference between the two is five years, just like in the canon.

I tried to make fifteen year old Itachi not too cute... But I think he's cute anyways.

R&R!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Caretaker**

2

Luckless

* * *

 _Ten Years Later_

* * *

"Look's like we're finally home, eh Itachi?" Shisui grinned from beside him.

Itachi gazed at the massive wall before him, the very wall that surrounded and protected Konoha. "Aa."

The two of them had been away on a long term mission, ten years to be exact. They had been assigned on a covert mission, under the guise as henchmen to the nation's wealthiest druglord. Their task was to climb the ranks within the druglord's underground organization, gain as much trust and information as they could, and then kill off the lord.

It was a wonder why it had taken them ten years. What shinobi in their right mind spent ten years on a mission?

Perhaps it was because the druglord was a clever man, always half a step ahead of them whenever he planned something. Perhaps, it was because they simply didn't want to get caught. There was also the fact that the lord had hired many S-Class nuke-nins to protect him from danger. And thus, not wanting to enter a two-versus-many situation, the Uchiha cousins decided it was best to take their time in carrying out their mission.

Diligently and effectively, as his father would always say. It was better to be meticulous than to be brainless.

Oh, but how he had missed his home and his family.

"Man," Shisui started. "I wonder how big Sasuke's grown now." Then he began to snicker. "Do you think he has a girlfriend now?"

Knowing Sasuke, the grumpy pubescent boy avoided beings of the opposite sex like the plague.

"No," Itachi stoicly said. "Possibly not."

"Really?" Shisui asked. "I hear his female teammate is quite good looking though."

Itachi quietly sighed and shook his head. They had been gone since before his little brother had even graduated from the academy. How his womanizing cousin had even obtained that particular piece of information, Itachi didn't know. Nor did he want to know.

As they reached the gates, the cousins were instantly recognized by the chuunin duo Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki.

"Well look who we have here!" Greeted Kotetsu, waving from behind the booth. "Welcome home, kiddos!"

Shisui jogged towards them, his hands in the air. He high-fived Kotetsu and then Izumo. "It's good to be back," Shisui grinned.

"We got the message you sent by hawk," Izumo said, handing a clipboard and a pen to Itachi. "Tsunade-sama is expecting you now."

Itachi nodded. He neatly printed his name along with his shinobi registration number onto the paper. Having finished, he handed the clipboard to Shisui, who quickly jotted his information down before handing it back to Izumo.

"Great," Izumo smiled. "Now that you've signed in, we'll let you get going now."

"Thank you," Itachi humbly bowed his head before trudging off, Shisui close behind him.

As the two walked the roads of Konoha, Shisui began to admire their surroundings. "It's been ten years but not a lot has changed." He commented, eyes wandering from building to building, and person to person.

"Aa."

After about twenty minutes of traveling by foot, they had finally arrived at the Hokage residence building. Several staircases and three floors later, they found themselves in front of the Hokage's office. Itachi knocked against the mahogany door.

A beat later, a muffled voice called from within. "Come in."

Itachi opened the door and the two entered the office. Upon entering, they immediately saw Tsunade, along with a rather gorgeous pink-haired girl standing beside her. At the sight of the girl, Itachi's eyes slightly widened and he stumbled.

"Woah," Shisui immediately grabbed onto Itachi's arm. "That's rare of you. Are you okay?"

Quickly gaining his composure, Itachi cleared his throat. "I'm fine," He muttered.

"But anyways," Shisui pulled Itachi closer. In a hushed tone, he asked, "Who's the pretty lady in the lab coat over there?"

Itachi glared at him.

"Long time no see, Uchiha brats," Tsunade greeted from behind her desk. "I take it the mission went well."

The Uchiha cousins straightened themselves out.

"Indeed," Itachi murmured. "I will have a report prepared for you by tomorrow."

"Diligent as always," Tsunade chuckled. "You've just come home after ten years, so take it easy." She lazily waved her hand. "I expect that report in my hands in a week."

"Thank you," Itachi nodded. Remembering the pink-haired girl's presence, he lightly frowned. "Apologies," He started, "It seems we have interrupted your meeting."

Tsunade blinked before turning to look at the girl. Facing the Uchiha cousins again, she laughed. Tsunade motioned to the girl. "This is Haruno Sakura, my apprentice and protégé." Then she added, "She's also your little brother's teammate."

"I was right," Shisui whispered, elbowing Itachi's sides.

Itachi on the other hand, could not believe his eyes. Since he saw her minutes ago, he had a tiny inkling that she was the bakery girl from ten years ago. After all, who else had pink hair, asides from her?

Now a full-fledged woman of twenty years, Sakura stood tall and proud. Her petal toned hair was cropped below her chin, her bangs swept to the side of her face and clipped in place with a green hair clip. Her green emerald eyes were warm and caring, and also full of compassion. He also noticed that despite wearing heels, she was rather short compared to him. Without the heels, she would perhaps only reach his shoulders in height.

Sakura beamed at the two. "Hello," She greeted. "I'm actually here to examine you."

"Examine?" Shisui repeated slowly.

"Ah," Tsunade hummed. "The both of you need a mandatory check-up since you've been away for so long." Motioning to Sakura again, she continued, "That's why I called her here."

"Right now?" Itachi suddenly questioned, his eyes on Sakura.

Tsunade smiled. "Right now."

* * *

"A pretty lady is going to examine me," Mumbled Shisui. "A _really_ pretty lady is going to examine me."

They were now on their way to the Konoha Hospital, located a few blocks away from the Hokage Tower. The two Uchiha men were a few steps behind Sakura. As they followed her, Itachi couldn't help but stare at the back of her head. Deep down inside, he secretly agreed with Shisui. She was indeed, very pretty.

"So," Shisui cleared his throat. "Haruno-san," He began, "How long have you known our Sasuke-chan?"

"Hm? Since the academy, actually." She replied.

"Ahh," Shisui nodded. Then he asked her, "I hope he hasn't been a problem over the years?"

At that, Sakura let out a hearty laugh. To Itachi's ears, her laugh sounded quite lovely.

"Well," Sakura hummed. "Asides from the usual grumpiness and his daily beat downs with Naruto, he hasn't been much of a problem if I'd say so myself."

Shisui blinked. "Beat downs?" He repeated slowly.

"The two of them are frequent hospital goers because they're always fighting," She drawled out, "I wouldn't be surprised if they're here again today because something stupid happened."

Itachi quietly sighed. It seems to him that Sasuke had been quite a problem over the years.

"Oh," Sakura suddenly perked up. "We're here."

The three of them had finally arrived at the hospital. The hospital was now bigger in size compared to when Itachi and Shisui last saw it, with a total of over ten floors. Upon entering the building, Sakura was instantly greeted by several nurses and patients.

"Sakura-san, is it possible for you to read over my report on neurosurgery?"

"Sure! Just stop by my office later today and we can go over it together."

"Sakura-san, the medicine you prescribed me is working wonderfully."

"I'm so glad to hear that, Hana-san!"

As Sakura talked to her staff and her patients, she made her way to the elevators located next to the help desk. Itachi and Shisui closely followed her this time, not wanting to lose her in the crowd. Once the elevator doors opened, she quickly ushered the both of them inside before slamming her fingers against the button that would close the doors. Then she pressed the button at the very top, indicating that their destination was on the top floor of the hospital.

"You're quite popular," Shisui commented. "It seems like being Tsunade-sama's protégé is no joke."

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "It's a little tiring, but I like my job."

"Are you mostly working at the hospital?" He asked curiously.

"Most of the time, yes," She nodded. "But I'm also a jounin, so I go on missions once in a while."

Shisui let out a low while. "Impressive."

Sakura giggled, "Why, thank you."

Impressive indeed. Itachi's mind wandered off to the park ten years ago, to when she cried for being picked on, and to when he had slapped bandaids on her knees and told her to smile. The ANBU captain felt his chest swell with pride and satisfaction.

The crying bakery girl from ten years ago had grown into a lovely, strong, and confident woman, and he was quite proud of her.

 _Ding!_

Having reached the top floor, the elevator stopped and the doors began to open. The three of them stepped out of the elevator, with Sakura leading the way once again. A minute later, they stopped in front of a door, with her name engraved onto the doorplate.

"We'll do a quick examination in here," She began, her hands twisting the door knob to open it. Stepping inside, she continued on, "For your vaccination shots, we're going to have to schedule those for another time. Is that okay?"

"That is fine," Itachi murmured. Shisui nodded in agreement.

"Great!" Beamed Sakura. "Now take off your shirts."

The two Uchiha men blinked. Did they hear her right?

"Pardon?" Itachi slowly asked. He heard her wrong, right?

Sakura smiled, her hands now glowing green. "Take off your shirts," She motioned with her chin to a nearby bed located against the wall. "And lie down over there."

For the first time in his life, Uchiha Itachi felt very conscious of his body.

* * *

 _One Week Later_

* * *

Itachi stood before Tsunade, his report in her hands. His report was rather short for a ten year mission, but he deemed it decent enough as he had filled it with the important parts. _'No need for minor details.'_

"You don't beat around the bush, even in your reports, do you?" Tsunade commented, her eyes scanning over each and every neatly written word. She slightly wanted to curse him for having better handwriting than her. "But I'm not complaining. This makes it easier for me, so I thank you for that."

Itachi bowed his head. "You are welcome, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade hummed in approval before sliding his report to the side. She laced her fingers together and leaned against them. "I know you've only been back for a week," She started, "But I have a mission for you and one other person."

Before Itachi could ask, a soft knock was heard against the door.

"Come in," Tsunade called.

The door opened and Sakura's head popped out from behind it. "Am I interrupting something?" She sheepishly asked. "I was told that you urgently wanted to see me."

Tsunade smiled at her apprentice. "Not at all," She said. "You're actually just in time. I'm sending you on a mission with Itachi." Then she beckoned her apprentice closer. "Come inside and close the door."

"Yes, shishou." Sakura stepped inside the office. Upon noticing Itachi, she bowed her head in respect. "Hello, Uchiha-san."

Itachi nodded at her, returning her greeting.

As Sakura closed the door behind her, Tsunade continued from where she had left off. "The Lantern Festival is next week, and so we'll be having quite a large amount of visitors from neighbouring countries."

"Apparently a group of rogue shinobi are loitering around at the border between the Fire Country and the Lightning Country," She grabbed a scroll from the top of her pile and pushed it towards them. "We've received a commission to get rid of that group and clear the roads for safe passage."

Then Tsunade frowned lightly. "I could've assigned a chuunin team, but the majority of our shinobi are preparing for the festival."

"It's fine," Itachi murmured. "We will take care of this."

Beside him, Sakura nodded. "You can count on us, shishou."

"Wonderful," Tsunade grinned. "It's a fairly easy task but we're getting paid a huge sum for this, so I want it done fast."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

After the mission debriefing with Tsunade, the two of them had gone their separate ways in order to pack their basic supplies. Moments later, they met up at the northern gate and then departed.

Itachi and Sakura were now travelling through the trees, hopping from one branch to another. Once in a while, the pinkette would steal glances at the Uchiha.

It was weird, she thought, how similar Itachi was to Sasuke. Yet at the same time, the two were very different from each other too.

The two brothers both shared the same brooding aura, however Itachi was more quiet-spoken and humble. She noticed that he was also very, very polite. Sasuke on the other hand happened to be a little bit more vocal about his dislikes, and was also easily aggravated too.

"Is there a problem?"

Sakura blinked. Realizing that she had been caught staring, her cheeks slowly colored red. "No," She stammered. "I was just thinking how different you are compared to Sasuke."

Itachi's eyebrows furrowed a little. Was being different from Sasuke a good thing? Or perhaps a bad thing? "How so?" He asked, slightly intrigued.

"Well," She hummed, "Sasuke is no where near as mature as you are."

The edges of his lips tilted upwards slightly. "That is very true," He chuckled.

Sakura blinked. Were her ears deceiving her? _'Did I just make him laugh?'_ She felt her cheeks heat up again, his chuckle replaying in her mind. _'Gods above, his laugh is beautiful.'_

All of a sudden, Itachi perked up as he began to detect a large number of chakra signals. His eyes narrowed, and he landed on a fairly thick tree branch. Sakura landed right beside him.

"Uchiha-san," She started, having also noticed the unknown presences.

Itachi quickly brought his finger to his lips, a quiet "shh" escaping from under his breath. His cool black irises began to fade, the signature blood red hue of the Sharingan taking over. "It seems we've found our target." He murmured, his eyes distinguishing each and every body of chakra.

Seconds later, the group of chakra dispersed. His eyes narrowed once more as he noticed the bodies of chakra heading towards them. "And it seems they have also found us."

As he said that, a kunai whizzed past her and lodged itself into the trunk of the tree behind them. Attached to the handle of the kunai, was a paper charm that was slowly being burned away.

An explosive tag.

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm. Sturdy arms suddenly wrapped around her waist and she felt herself being lifted off of the branch. Itachi had grabbed her and leaped into the air, just before the explosive tag had diffused.

They landed on another tree branch, located a distance away from the previous one. As Itachi settled her on her feet, he murmured, "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," She nodded, smiling gratefully at him. "Thank you."

As Sakura straightened up, she began to notice several figures surrounding them. Six nuke-nins were perched on nearby trees, another six were hiding behind the bushes located on ground level. "Uchiha-san," She began, "Would you like to take the top and I'll take the bottom?"

"Aa."

A feral grin appeared on the pinkette's features. "Great," She said. Then, she jumped off the branch.

Sakura balled her fists and began to pump chakra into them. Upon touchdown, her fist connected with the ground and a large crater was created.

It seems Sasuke wasn't kidding when he said that her punches really did hurt.

Needless to say, it had truly amazed him to see her use her delicate hands for healing, yet the sight of her using those very same hands with raw power had incited him.

Nearby trees began to fall over from the quake, including the one that Itachi was still standing on. He quickly leaped off of the tree and landed right beside a nuke-nin. Before the rogue could react, Itachi quickly pulled out a kunai and slashed across the rogue's throat. Upon sensing incoming projectiles, he turned around and reflected the incoming shurikens away with his kunai. Then he leaped away again, in search for his next target.

Back down below, Sakura was dashing left and right, swiftly dodging the blades aimed at her. After she had destroyed the landscape, she had noticed three bodies buried underneath the rubble. "Another three more to go," She muttered under her breath.

After spotting one man, she vaulted into the air and collided into the rogue, her knees painfully meeting his face. The back of his head slammed against the ground with a disturbing crunch, indicating that she had crushed his skull in. She rolled off of the dead man, in time to dodge the kunai that rained down upon her. A beat later, Sakura grabbed a kunai lying nearby and reflected another wave of kunai with the one she had stolen.

From where she was lying on the ground, she noticed a nuke-nin hiding behind the trunk of a tree several meters away. She narrowed her eyes and pulled out a senbon needle from her pouch. After infusing it with her chakra, she threw the needle with expert precision and watched as it successfully pierced the rogue's throat.

"It seems we have a rather persistent girly."

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw a tanto blade coming down on her, aimed directly for her head. She inhaled sharply and her eyes widened. Metal clashed against metal as she successfully blocked the short blade with her kunai.

Her assailant whistled lowly as he straddled her stomach. "Quick, aren'tcha?" Then he squinted his eyes at her. "You're actually quite the looker too." He said suggestively, eyeing her up and down.

She glared at him and threw him off of her. Once she was free of his hold, she quickly got up on her feet. Unfortunately, before she could even take one step away from him, the rogue had managed to grab onto both of her ankles, his short sword laying beside him.

Sakura shrieked as she fell backwards. She felt the air get knocked out of her as her back met the ground. After she let out a chain of coughs, she lifted her head up and glared at the rogue again. "Let go," She hissed.

"Why?" The nuke-nin chuckled at her. "Who said I was going to let you leave?"

"Let. Go."

The man ignored her and muttered a technique under his breath. Then he began to pump his chakra into her legs.

Upon feeling his chakra invade her body, Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"You're not going to leave," was his reply.

She began to feel anxious. _'I don't like this.'_ She pumped strength into her legs in an attempt to kick him away from her. However, the hold he had on her ankles tightened the more she struggled.

Slowly, her legs began to feel numb.

Sakura's eyes slowly widened in realization and she quickly sat up. The rogue's toxic chakra was running rampant inside of her, slowly eating away at her chakra and her nerve cells. Seconds later, she couldn't feel her toes anymore. The numbness was slowly climbing up her legs, now reaching her knees.

"Let go," She demanded, her fists colliding against his face. "Let go!"

The more she moved, the weaker she began to feel. Her chakra was now depleted, having been stolen by the rogue that clung to her feet.

A kunai whizzed past her and lodged itself at the centre of the nuke-nin's forehead. As blood seeped out of the crater of damaged skin, the man's eyes rolled back and his grip on her legs loosened.

Itachi had arrived.

After he had successfully hunted down all six of his preys, he had sensed her chakra diminishing at a rapid rate. Upon arriving, the first thing he saw was the nuke-nin pushing an oddly colored chakra into her legs. Then the next thing he knew, he had whipped out his remaining kunai and thrown it at the rogue.

Itachi kicked the dead man away from her. He turned around and knelt beside her. "Are you alright?"

Sakura did not reply. Her emerald eyes were focused on her legs.

Itachi frowned lightly, his brows furrowing in mild confusion. "Haru-"

"I can't feel my legs," She whispered. Slowly, her eyes widened in mortification. She looked up at him, eyes glossing over as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "Itachi," She said. _"I can't feel my fucking legs."_

For the first time in his life, Uchiha Itachi did not know what to do.

* * *

 **A/N:** It seems like Itachi is experiencing many firsts at the tender age of 25.

Once again, a reminder to all that they're five years apart in age. With the time skip, Sakura is now 20 and Itachi is now 25.

Many thanks to those who reviewed/followed/favorited the first chapter.

 **A question to my readers:** how, where, and when do you write?

As for me, I find myself writing mostly during the commute to work and back home. It's hard finding inspiration at home. Sometimes, I even write when I can't sleep at night.

See you again soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Caretaker**

3

New Housemate

* * *

Uchiha Itachi was usually never speechless. He was also usually never baffled. When he was young, he had once heard his lovely, ladylike mother yell a string of curse words at his father. He had simply shook his head and walked away. Frankly speaking, he thought that his father deserved the verbal attack from his mother. Not only that, but his admiration for his mother had also increased after that event.

Another time, when he was a mere genin, he had witnessed his team leader kill an innocent woman in order to lure out their target. He simply stood and watched as the woman's throat was cleanly sliced by a kunai, and he did not bat an eye either. It was for the success of their mission, he had reasoned. For the better good of Konoha.

Yet, at this very moment, Uchiha Itachi was speechless. He was slightly taken back when Sakura had dropped the formalities and opted for his first name in her state of panic, but for some reason, he liked the way his name rolled off her lips. It sounded sweet, yet nice at the same time. Very nice.

He was also surprised to see her in such an agitated state, when the pinkette was usually so very composed. He had no idea why, but the idea of Sakura crying had made him a little uncomfortable. _'Just like that time at the park.'_ Pushing the thought aside, his brows crinkled a little as he frowned down at her. "Did you not do a scan?"

Sakura's emerald green eyes narrowed. "Yes," She hissed. "I did." Her fingers dug into the ground, tightening around a handful of dirt and pebbles. "I'm a medic, need I remind you." She gritted her teeth.

A quiet "ah" escaped his lips. Of course she did a scan. She was Konoha's, if not the world's, second best healer. Itachi felt a little guilty for unintentionally insulting her. "Apologies," He murmured. "I did not mean to offend you."

Sakura eyed him for a few seconds. Then she took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "No," She chewed on her bottom lip, and rubbed her wrists against her eyes. "I panicked and took it out on you." She mumbled, "It was unprofessional, and I'm sorry for that."

Itachi lifted a brow, slightly surprised by her quick change of temperament. One moment she was a ball of impending emotions, then the next she was calm as she ever could be. He remembered a moment when he was younger, when he had witnessed his own mother change her mood just as quick as Sakura had did. Truly, women were curious creatures.

"If I may ask," He politely said, "What had happened?" Unfortunately, by the time he had arrived, he had only seen the man mounted on top of Sakura before he had blanked out and pulled out his kunai. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the feeling he had felt was something akin to... displeasure.

Sakura scowled. "This asshole," She glared at the corpse beside her. "Used some kind of jutsu and shoved his toxic chakra into me, which completely destroyed the nerves in my legs."

Itachi frowned. "May I have a look?"

"Sure," She shrugged. It couldn't hurt to have a kekkei genkai examine her.

Black faded into blood red as the sharingan took over. Itachi's eyes moved up and down her legs as he examined her. Indeed, her nerves had been severely damaged. Itachi's brows knitted together, his frown deepening as he spotted other casualties in her system. "Your chakra points have been damaged too."

Her lips twisted in disdain. "I figured that happened too."

"Is it... fixable?" He carefully asked.

"It is," Sakura frowned a little, "But it'll take some time. I need to mend together every single cell slowly and carefully." She began to massage the palm of her hands against her thighs. "If I rush it, I'll risk permanently damaging it."

"I see."

Deep down inside, he was glad that her paralysis was temporary. He would hate to see her out of commission, after having just seen her spectacular show of skills. If possible, he would like to see more of her prowess in the near future.

Sakura let out a deep, slow sigh. "How am I going to get back home now?" She muttered under her breath.

Seconds later, she felt strong arms wrap around her and lift her body off of the ground. She squeaked at the suddenness of it, and whipped her head around in search of the culprit, only to meet face to face with Itachi. Hi right arm had a firm hold on her back, while his left arm was looped under her legs. Her head was somewhat resting on his chest as he adjusted his hold on her.

Basically, Uchiha Itachi was carrying her in his arms. Bridal style.

"Uchiha-san," She began, her cheeks slowly coloring red. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, as if she was a deer in headlights. "What are you doing?"

"Itachi."

Sakura blinked. "Huh?"

"Itachi is fine," He murmured from above her. "I will carry you back."

"You don't have to," She protested.

"Why?"

"I'm sure I'm quite heavy!"

The corner of Itachi's lips curved downwards a little bit and his eyebrows crinkled slightly. He didn't quite understand how her weight related to the issue of her paralyzed state, or how she even came up with the notion. It was nonsensical. Simply weird, in short. "You are not heavy." Then he added, "Are you perhaps suggesting I leave you here?"

"Well, no, but-"

"How will you be able to get back home?"

"I'm sure I can find a way-"

"Your legs are currently invalid."

"..." ' _Dammit.'_ Red in the face, Sakura was utterly embarrassed. The paralysis was simply a mistake on her part, and she always owned up to her mistakes in some way or another. Yet, the Uchiha prodigy took it upon himself to carry her back home, and it made her feel a little guilty. After all, she simply hated being a burden to others.

"Sakura-san."

"...Yes?" She asked meekly. It was the first time he had ever said her first name. It sounded quite pleasant actually.

"I will carry you back."

"...Okay."

* * *

It took them two hours to reach Konoha, with small breaks every now and then. She had insisted that they took breaks, in order to let his arms rest from carrying her for so long. Itachi did not have much of an issue while he was carrying her, but he appreciated her concern for him.

They were now in the Konoha General Hospital. Sakura was lying on a bed, with Itachi poised against the wall. Standing beside her bed was Tsunade, who was examining her student's condition.

"Well," Tsunade hummed to herself. "It certainly is fixable."

"Thank god," Sakura sighed. Despite knowing herself that her condition was fixable, it relieved her to hear the same words coming from her teacher's mouth. "I can heal it bit by bit at home during my free time then."

"The chakra blockage in your legs is going to slow down the progress." Tsunade said. Then she suggested, "We can set up an arrangement once a week, and I can help you with the treatment."

"That would be great," Sakura beamed, "Thanks, shishou."

"It's not a problem," Tsunade patted the pinkette's back. "I'd really hate for you to be out of commission," She admitted, "What am I to do without you?"

At that, Sakura giggled.

Then Tsunade frowned. "Unfortunately, I can't give you any hospital shifts while you're in this state."

"That's fine," Sakura smiled lightly. "If anything, I can do work from home."

Tsunade shrugged. She knew it was pointless to tell her workaholic student to simply just rest at home. _Of course_ the pinkette would suggest working from home. Tsunade rolled her eyes in exasperation, before turning around to face Itachi. "I want you to take care of her until she recovers properly." After another thought, she added, "And also prevent her from overwork in her current state."

Sakura's brows shot up. "Shishou," She started, "It's fine. I'm fine by myself."

"Nonsense," Snorted Tsunade, nonchalantly waving her hand around. "You can't even use your legs anymore. How are you going to get around the house, or even go outside?"

Sakura's lips scrunched in disdain.

"I will do it."

Both teacher and student turned to look at the owner of the voice.

"I will do it," Itachi repeated.

"Great," Tsunade grinned. "See to it that she doesn't do anything stupid."

Sakura spluttered, "Tsunade-sama!"

"No complaints," Tsunade said strictly, turning back towards Sakura. "You can go home now. We can talk about our weekly check ups in more detail tomorrow." With that said, she turned on her heels and made her way out the door.

Silence overcame the room once the blonde hokage had left the room. Itachi pushed himself off of the wall and slowly walked towards the bed, where Sakura was still resting.

"Um-"

"I will take you home now."

Without another word he turned around and knelt down, his back ready and waiting.

"Y-You really don't have to do this," She stammered, realizing that he was waiting for her to get on his back.

Although she couldn't see it, Itachi raised a brow. "Is there a problem?"

"No," She mumbled, a frown slowly appearing on her features. "I just... don't want to burden you like this."

"You are not." He simply said. "You are my charge."

Sakura blinked, a quiet "oh" escaping from her lips.

"Please get on," He patiently said, "I will carry you home."

"Then..." She bit the inside of her cheeks. Slowly, she gingerly pulled herself to the edge of the bed. Using her arms, she pulled one leg after the other over the bed, and placed them at his sides. Then she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel her cheeks turn a light shade of red as her breasts gently touched his back. _'Thank god my boobs aren't as huge as Ino's,'_ Her eyes squinted as she stared at the back of his head. _'He can't feel anything right?'_

"Is everything alright?"

Completely startled, Sakura's eyes widened as she was brought out of her muse. A small shriek escaped her as she felt her body fall backwards, her arms loosening their hold around his neck. On reflex, and also in fear of falling over, she quickly tightened her hold around Itachi's neck.

Itachi on the other hand, was just as surprised as she was, his eyes bulging a little as he felt his neck being constricted between her arms. Hell, the grip she had around his neck was so strong, he couldn't even utter a single word. He let out a few coughs, before patting her arm several times.

"Oh!" She gasped, quickly releasing her chokehold on him. "Heavens above, are you okay?" _'Well, shit. That was a really dumb question.'_ She wanted to kick herself, but of course, her legs weren't working when she needed them to be.

"I'm fine," He rasped, before coughing once more.

Sakura began to slowly and awkwardly pat the area between his shoulder blades as he coughed. "I'm so sorry," She winced. First she was a burden, and now she was a burden that almost killed him.

A moment later, Itachi cleared his throat. "It's fine," He said, "We should leave now." Without another word, he placed his arms underneath her knees and slowly began to stand up.

"Are you okay?" Sakura worriedly asked, her head leaning over his shoulder. "Are you dizzy? Am I too heavy?"

"I'm fine, thank you." He murmured. For some reason, his neck felt warm. He was pretty sure it wasn't from the fact that his neck could've snapped in two, and he was pretty sure it wasn't from the body heat that emitted from her. _'How odd.'_ Then a quick thought came to him. "I believe we already discussed the matter of your weight." Again, he wasn't sure how her weight related to anything. She was as light as a feather, if anything.

"...Right." Sakura mentally face-palmed. She _really_ wanted to kick herself.

* * *

It didn't take them that long to reach her house. It was a simple townhouse that was located near the hospital, but was also not that far away from the village gates, in the case of dire emergencies.

"Itachi-san," Sakura called from behind him, "Put me down over there." She instructed, her finger pointing to the stone ledge near her door.

Itachi nodded before kneeling down, his back facing towards her door. He gently released her and sat her ontop the ledge, before standing back up and turning back around to face her.

Sakura rummaged her pockets before pulling out a set of keys. The keys jingled against each other as she searched for the key that would open the door to her house. Upon closer inspection, Itachi noticed a quaint cherry blossom ornament attached to the ring of her keys. Amusement shone in his eyes, and he let out a silent chuckle. It was rather cute of her to have her namesake attached to her keys.

Seconds later, she held a certain silver key in between her thumb and her index finger. "Here," She beamed, dangling the key before him, the rest of her keys jingling too. "Open the door with this."

Itachi gently took her keys out of her hand and made his way up the small steps. After successfully opening the door to her house, he made his way back down to where she waited.

"I will bring you inside now," He stated, after returning the keys to her.

Sakura nodded, "I'm ready whenever you are," She said.

Wrapping one arm around her shoulder, Itachi looped his other arm under her legs and lifted her up. Despite it being the third time that day, Sakura still felt nervous when Itachi carried her around. _'This is going to be hard to get used to,'_ She inwardly sighed. _'But damn, his arms are comfortable.'_

Slowly and carefully, Itachi carried her up the steps and into her house, swiftly closing the door behind him with his foot. Once they were inside, he spotted the red couch placed in her living room and made his way towards it. He gently placed her on the couch, before making his way back to the front door to lock it.

Upon seeing him return, she smiled at him, "Thank you."

Itachi held his gaze on her smile and slowly nodded, before his eyes began to wander and observe his surrounding. He had to admit, she had wonderful tastes in interior.

Asides from the red couch she was currently sitting on, he noticed that the walls were painted beige, with several picture frames hanging against them. Her flooring on the other hand, was the color of dark walnut. Made out of mahogany, her furniture complimented the warm tones that filled her living room. On the other side of the living room, was a staircase that led to the second floor, where her sleeping quarters were. From the corner of his eye, he spotted an entryway, possibly leading to the kitchen.

"Would you like to see what's upstairs?"

Itachi blinked before his attention returned to Sakura, who was watching him curiously. "Yes," He murmured, "That would be lovely."

Sakura raised her arms up into the air, and sheepishly smiled. "Sorry," She chuckled, "You'll have to carry me again. You're probably tired of this already, huh?" She joked.

A small smile crept onto Itachi's face as hilarity danced in his eyes. "It's fine," He replied, bending over to wrap his arms around her once more. As he lifted her up, he said, "I do not mind carrying you around."

At that, a faint hint of pink tinted Sakura's cheeks. "Oh," She simply said.

Slowly, Itachi ascended the staircase, making sure not to drop the girl that he held in his arms. With her face so close to his own, he couldn't help but sneak a few glances at her. Despite the few occasions where he had seen her face up close, he had never realized how very pretty she was.

Once they had reached the second floor, his attention was slowly pulled away as he noticed her finger pointing to one of three rooms, located on the right of them and farthest from the staircase. "Over there is my room," Sakura explained. Then she moved her finger to the room located next to her own. "That's the guest room." She glanced up at him before quickly looking away. "That's where you'll be staying."

"Noted," Itachi nodded. "I will bring my possessions later tonight." Remembering the existence of the third door located across both bedrooms, he nudged his chin towards it. "What is that room over there?"

"That's the bathroom," She replied. "There's another one downstairs, except it doesn't have a bathtub like this one does."

"I see."

Silence overcame them. A moment later, another blush crept onto Sakura's cheeks as she realized that she would be sharing her bathroom with the Uchiha prodigy. _'It's not like I'll walk in on him naked,'_ She reasoned with herself, _'I can't even walk!'_

After a quick glance at the clock, her blush disappeared as she lightly frowned. "Oh no," Sakura worriedly murmured to herself, "What should I do about dinner?"

"I will take care of dinner."

The pinkette blinked before looking up at Itachi.

"I will go back home and grab my belongings," He continued, "And I will get dinner on my way back, so you do not have to worry about it."

"Oh," Sakura slowly nodded. "I guess we can do that then."

"What would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine," She hummed, "I'm not a picky eater."

"Noted." Then Itachi's brows lightly knitted together. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

Sakura casually waved her hand. "I'll be fine." Then she pointed to the bathroom, "Actually, I'll just shower while you're gone," She chuckled, "I kind of stink, after all that brawling I did this morning."

Itachi nodded and trudged towards the bathroom. After opening the door and stepping inside, he gently placed her on top of the toilet seat.

"I can manage from here," Sakura smiled, "You can go and get your things." After all, she really didn't want his assistance undressing her and getting her into the tub. The thought of it made her nervous and extremely embarassed. _'Curse these legs.'_

"Then," Itachi nodded, "I will be back soon." With that said, he turned on his heels and closed the door behind him.

Sensing his chakra disappear from the vicinity, Sakura sat in silence as she stared at her bathtub. "Now I need to figure out how to do this without accidentally killing myself," She mumbled.

Moments later, after a lot of wiggling to take her clothes off, and after a lot of struggling, she finally managed to crawl into the bathtub. As the hot water warmed her up, she sat and stared at the ceiling.

"I forgot to get a clean set of clothes..."

* * *

Upon reaching the Uchiha compound, Itachi had encountered his mother in the kitchen while on his way to his bedroom. After explaining to Mikoto about his new mission and his new whereabouts, she handed him a large bento.

"Eat this with her," Mikoto instructed. "Take good care of her, and don't be rude."

Itachi silently huffed, "I am never rude."

Mikoto rolled her eyes before waving him along. "Go on now, don't keep her waiting." Then she began to tut, "The poor girl must be starving by now."

Once he had grabbed a few spare changes of clothing and some necessities, he stuffed them into a sachel. With his mother's bento in tow, he made his way back to Sakura's house. After entering the house, he briskly walked towards the kitchen to set the bento down.

As he shuffled upstairs to drop his belongings in his new sleeping quarters, he realized that Sakura's chakra signal was still contained within the bathroom. A beat after his realization, a rather heavy thump and a cry was heard.

Itachi dropped his sachel in alarm and shuffled towards the bathroom door. "Sakura-san!" He twisted the door knob and threw the door open. Slowly, his eyes widened as he soaked in the scene before him.

Sakura was sprawled on the floor, her hair dripping wet. A green towel was clumsily wrapped around her body, barely hiding her cleavage. On the other hand, her long, porcelain legs were completely exposed. "U-Uh," She squeaked, her cheeks flushing red. "Um..." Forget her walking in on him; he walked in on her!

Pulled back to reality, Itachi stepped back into the hallway and slammed the bathroom door shut. "Apologies," He coughed. "I heard a sound and assumed something had happened." _'I am not a pervert. I am not a pervert.'_

"Well," She timidly replied from the other side of the door. "I realized that I didn't take a spare change of clothing with me, so I was going to try to get to my room..." Then she coughed, "But I kind of slipped off the bathtub ledge."

"I see," He slowly said. "Would you... like me to carry you there?"

"..."

"Sakura-san?"

"...Yes please."

It was silent between them for a few more minutes. Truth be told, Itachi didn't know if it was okay for him to enter the bathroom again. "Are you... decent?" He asked, feeling quite awkward with himself. It was honestly the weirdest question he had ever asked a woman in his whole twenty-five years of living. _'This is very indecent.'_

"Um," A few shuffling noises. "Yeah. You can come in now."

Itachi slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside, his eyes cautiously roaming around until they landed on the pinkette.

Sakura was still on the floor, except she was sitting up instead of her previous sprawled position. The green towel was also properly tied around her body, covering the majority of her thighs too. She sheepishly smiled at him, her cheeks still tinted a light shade of pink. "I should probably get a wheelchair, huh?"

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle as he lifted her up, his eyes avoiding her face and her body. Despite being walked in on, the pinkette still managed to somehow make light of the situation. "Probably." He agreed.

* * *

 **A/N:** In which Sakura curses her immobility and inability to control her strength when it really matters, and Itachi is an awkward accidental pervert at the age of twenty-five.

Sorry for the wait guys. I've been quite busy with work, and I was also struck by writer's block while writing this. Today was my day off from work, and somehow I managed to fit a 4hr nap, along with 5hrs of watching a kdrama while trying to finish this chapter.

I was also trying to develop two other ItaSaku fics that hopefully I'll release soon, even though Sanguine and Caretaker aren't even close to being finished yet... haha... why do I do this to myself... haha...

There's a lot of corny stuff here and I'm kind of gagging, but I enjoy writing awkward Itachi, so it's ok.

 ** _Also,_** I would really appreciate it if you guys checked out my other fic, Sanguine, and shoot some critiques at me and whatnot. It's a SasoSaku AU fic, and it has more of a serious vibe compared to the fluff in Caretaker.

Thanks for reading, and see you guys next time!

 **RR!**


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